Dead By Proxy by Manning Wolfe

Dead By Proxy

by Manning Wolfe

September 18 - October 13, 2023 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

In this lawyer on the run action suspense, attorney Quinton Bell loses the trial of his career, and possibly his life.

Dead By Proxy takes you on a heart-pounding journey through the life of a criminal defense attorney, whose world is wiped out. When Quinton loses a career-defining case, he finds himself being hunted by the very client he tried to save.

As Quinton navigates the treacherous path of survival, he is running from a powerful and relentless adversary who will stop at nothing to see him silenced. Finally landing in Houston, he hides in plain sight while re-inventing his new life as a trial lawyer.

When he’s forced to take on a high-profile murder case, he exposes himself and those he loves to danger. With each passing moment, the noose tightens, and he must draw on every ounce of wit to outsmart those who still want him dead.

Will Quinton Bell find a way out, or will he forever be a target in a deadly game of cat and mouse?

Dead By Proxy is the first book in the edgy Proxy Legal Thriller Series. If you like memorable characters, smart gritty action, and jaw-dropping twists, then you’ll love Manning Wolfe’s fast-paced page-turner.

Praise for Dead By Proxy:

"A riveting read that expertly teams courtroom drama and legal maneuvering with imminent danger, spine-tingling suspense, a touch of romance, and non-stop action. Talk about an adrenaline rush!"
~ Reedsy

"Manning Wolfe just put herself on my list of must-read authors!"
~ John Ellsworth

Book Details:

Genre: Thriller
Published by: Starpath Books, LLC
Publication Date: September 2023
Number of Pages: 275
Series: The Proxy Legal Thriller Series, Book 1
Book Links: Amazon | Goodreads

Read an excerpt:

Byron was not jaded or trapped into being an attorney as many he knew were and he was not in it for the money, although that part was nice. And, he was not naive, as he was aware of severe injustices in the criminal justice system and felt improvement was needed. Byron continued to be on the playing field because he was one of the last true believers. The system was the best available right now and he actually trusted the outcome, most of the time.

Having deceased parents, one semi-estranged sibling in California, and no current plans to marry, Byron embraced the law as his mistress and his life. He simply loved it all. As most careers went, loving it meant he was devoted to it and good at it. He never glossed over a precedent or twisted a legal argument beyond its parameters. He was thrilled every time he set foot in a courtroom to do battle for his client, guilty or innocent.

Across the aisle, the prosecutor, Sebastian Roberts, relished this chance to incarcerate another criminal. Roberts moved his short spark-plug-of-a-body, decorated with a vest and bright paisley bow tie, around the courtroom as he laid out the federal government’s view of the case. He looked at Byron and his client, then back to the twelve chosen members of the jury.

Byron organized his thoughts, felt excitement tingle through his fingers and toes, and stood up at the defense table. In defending Killian Tyrone, Byron’s opening argument went something like this: “Your Honor and members of the jury. Today, I’d like to introduce you to my client, Killian Tyrone, the accused in this case. Now, I know what the prosecutor said about what he did, and that is probably swirling around in your brain right now, but I’d like for you to take a step back and listen to both sides of the story before you make a decision about my client’s behavior, guilt, or innocence. You also heard his inference about defense attorneys, that would be me.” He smiled and the jury laughed. “I’ll leave it to you to decide, but I have no intention of tricking you or trying to hide the ball.”

Byron pointed at his co-counsel, Michael, a shorter, younger version of himself, but with brown eyes. “My colleague, Michael Everett, and I will present Mr. Tyrone’s side of the case and, when we’re finished, I’m certain that you will find him not guilty.”

Byron smiled at the jury and took pride in the fact that when he won, he won fair and square, and he instilled these principles in his protégé, Michael. Byron encouraged Michael not to be blinded by the legal system, nor be immune to the tricks of the trade. Byron used the tools expertly, but he wanted to win with an equal playing field, or not at all, and the law allowed for plenty of ways to win. To Byron, what was the point if cheating was involved? That only proved he was the best cheater, not the best lawyer.

***

Excerpt from Dead By Proxy by Manning Wolfe. Copyright 2023 by Manning Wolfe. Reproduced with permission from Manning Wolfe. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

MANNING WOLFE, an award-winning author and attorney, writes cinematic-style, smart, fast-paced thrillers and crime fiction. Manning was recently featured on Oxygen TV’s: Accident, Suicide, or Murder, and has spoken at major book festivals around the world.

* Manning’s legal thriller series features Austin attorney Merit Bridges, including Dollar Signs, Music Notes, Green Fees, and Chinese Wall.

* Manning’s new Proxy Legal Thrillers Series features Houston attorney Quinton Bell, including Dead By Proxy, Hunted By Proxy, and Alive By Proxy.

* Manning is co-author of Killer Set: Drop the Mic, and twelve additional Bullet Books Speed Reads.

As a graduate of Rice University and the University of Texas School of Law, Manning’s experience has given her a voyeur’s peek into some shady characters’ lives and a front-row seat to watch the good people who stand against them.

Catch Up With Manning Wolfe:
www.ManningWolfe.com
Goodreads
BookBub - @manning-wolfe
Instagram - @manningwolfe
Twitter - @manningwolfe
Facebook - @manning.wolfe
Learn more about Manning Wolfe on Amazon!

 

 

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, guest posts, and opportunities to WIN in the giveaway!

 

 

ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Manning Wolfe. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

 

 

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Tours

 

 

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week

************

Warning:  Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.
************
Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia @ A Girl and Her Books, has a permanent home now at Mailbox Monday
************
Here is a shout out to the administrators:

Emma @ Word and Peace

Serena @ Savvy Verse and Wit

Martha @ Reviews By Martha’s Bookshelf

************

THANKS to everyone for keeping Mailbox Monday alive.

NetGalley Books

1: The Clinic by Cate Quinn

From the critically acclaimed author of Black Widows comes a thriller set in a remote rehab clinic on the Pacific Northwest coast, in which the death of a woman inside prompts her sister to enter the clinic as a patient in order to find the truth. Perfect for fans of Stacy Willingham and Tarryn Fisher!

Meg works for a casino in LA, catching cheaters and popping a few too many pain pills to cope, following a far different path than her sister Haley, a famous actress. But suddenly reports surface of Haley dying at the remote rehab facility where she had been forced to go to get her addictions under control.

There are whispers of suicide, but Meg can't believe it. She decides that the best way to find out what happened to her sister is to check in herself – to investigate what really happened from the inside.

Battling her own addictions and figuring out the truth will be much more difficult than she imagined, far away from friends, family – and anyone who could help her.

2: The Devil and Mrs Davenport by Paulette Kennedy

The bestselling author of The Witch of Tin Mountain and Parting the Veil mines the subtle horrors of 1950s America in a gripping novel about a woman under pressure—from the living and the dead.

The first day of autumn brought the fever, and with the fever came the voices.

Missouri, 1955. Loretta Davenport has led an isolated life as a young mother and a wife to Pete, an ambitious assistant professor at a Bible college. They’re the picture of domestic tranquility—until a local girl is murdered and Loretta begins receiving messages from beyond. Pete dismisses them as delusions of a fevered female imagination. Loretta knows they’re real—and frightening. Defying Pete’s demands, Loretta finds an encouraging supporter in parapsychologist Dr. Curtis Hansen. He sees a woman with a rare gift, more blessing than curse. With Dr. Hansen’s help, Loretta’s life opens up to an empowering new purpose. But for Pete, the God-fearing image he’s worked so hard to cultivate is under threat. No longer in control of his dutiful wife, he sees the Devil at work. As Loretta’s powers grow stronger and the pleading spirits beckon, Pete is determined to deliver his wife from evil. To solve the mysteries of the dead, Loretta must first save herself.

3: Kill For Me, Kill For You by Steve Cavanagh

For fans of The Silent Patient and Gone Girl, a razor-sharp and Hitchcock-inspired psychological thriller about two ordinary women who make a dangerous pact to take revenge for each other after being pushed to the brink.

One dark evening on New York City’s Upper West Side, two strangers meet by chance. Over drinks, Amanda and Wendy realize they have much in common, especially loneliness and an intense desire for revenge against the men who destroyed their families. As they talk into the night, they come up with the perfect plan: if you kill for me, I’ll kill for you.

In another part of the city, Ruth is home alone when the beautiful brownstone she shares with her husband, Scott, is invaded. She’s attacked by a man with piercing blue eyes, who disappears into the night. Will she ever be able to feel safe again while the blue-eyed stranger is out there?

Intricate, heart-racing, and from an author who “is the real deal” (Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author), Kill for Me, Kill for You will keep you breathless until the final page.

Bookmail 

I won these on Facebook in The Reader's Coffeehouse group

The Child Finder & The Butterfly Girl by Rene Denfeld

The Child Finder

A haunting, atmospheric, and deeply suspenseful novel from the acclaimed author of The Enchanted about an investigator who must use her unique insights to find a missing little girl.

"Where are you, Madison Culver? Flying with the angels, a silver speck on a wing? Are you dreaming, buried under snow? Or—is it possible—you are still alive?"

Three years ago, Madison Culver disappeared when her family was choosing a Christmas tree in Oregon’s Skookum National Forest. She would be eight-years-old now—if she has survived. Desperate to find their beloved daughter, certain someone took her, the Culvers turn to Naomi, a private investigator with an uncanny talent for locating the lost and missing. Known to the police and a select group of parents as "the Child Finder," Naomi is their last hope.

Naomi’s methodical search takes her deep into the icy, mysterious forest in the Pacific Northwest, and into her own fragmented past. She understands children like Madison because once upon a time, she was a lost girl, too.

As Naomi relentlessly pursues and slowly uncovers the truth behind Madison’s disappearance, shards of a dark dream pierce the defenses that have protected her, reminding her of a terrible loss she feels but cannot remember. If she finds Madison, will Naomi ultimately unlock the secrets of her own life?

Told in the alternating voices of Naomi and a deeply imaginative child, The Child Finder is a breathtaking, exquisitely rendered literary page-turner about redemption, the line between reality and memories and dreams, and the human capacity to survive.

The Butterfly Girl

The Butterfly Girl is a riveting novel that ripples with truth, exploring the depths of love and sacrifice in the face of a past that cannot be left dead and buried.

A year ago, Naomi, the investigator with an uncanny ability for finding missing children, made a promise that she would not take another case until she finds the younger sister who has been missing for years. Naomi has no picture, not even a name. All she has is a vague memory of a strawberry field at night, black dirt under her bare feet as she ran for her life.

The search takes her to Portland, Oregon, where scores of homeless children wander the streets like ghosts, searching for money, food, and companionship. The sharp-eyed investigator soon discovers that young girls have been going missing for months, many later found in the dirty waters of the river. Though she does not want to get involved, Naomi is unable to resist the pull of children in need—and the fear she sees in the eyes of a twelve-year old girl named Celia. Running from an abusive stepfather and an addict mother, Celia has nothing but hope in the butterflies—her guides and guardians on the dangerous streets. She sees them all around her, tiny iridescent wisps of hope that soften the edges of this hard world and illuminate a cherished memory from her childhood—the Butterfly Museum, a place where everything is safe and nothing can hurt her.

As danger creeps closer, Naomi and Celia find echoes of themselves in one another, forcing them each to consider the question: Can you still be lost even when you’ve been found? But will they find the answer too late?

The Other Year by Rea Frey

 

My thoughts

This was a different genre from Rea Frey's usual thriller books. It's a contemporary with a love story also. It's a story of the most heartbreaking loss you can imagine and the guilt that follows. Also about a budding love that may happen along the way. 

I enjoyed this book from start to finish. I shed quite a few tears reading it. Or I should say reading every other chapter. It's told from two different ways. One she lives. One she drowns. A mother's love and loss in this story is heart-wrenching and so realistic in every other chapter. The other chapters are the what if. What if her child had not drowned. What if she gets to grow up? 

Kates daughter drowned. She went under and didn't resurface. Kate had glanced down at her phone for a mere second but it's costing her a lifetime of pain. She of course blames herself. If only she had gone in the water with Olivia. If only she had not looked at her phone. If only!

Kate is torn between not just two men but before it's over there are three. One is her ex. I only liked him as a dad. Then there is her best friend Jason. Don't ruin your friendship. You've been best friends way to long to go there. Then there is the farmer Ian. I absolutely adored him. He sounds very good looking and very nice. He's suffered a great loss also and well he's just the kind of man that she needs. But her ex Michael had his chance. He chose his job over his family. Though he was still a good dad he just wasn't husband material. 

You'll also meet Waffles. Waffles is the dog you meet and will love. He's the perfect companion for Kate and Liv. I really liked Kate and was so glad she came to terms with her loss. Somewhat. As much as a mother can that is. I was glad she found love too. I was glad she finally got a dog in the end of the other chapters. 

I finally got it what this title was suppose to mean. What it implies. What it says.... The Other Year is the perfect title. Well done Ms Frey. 

Be sure and read the acknowledgement at the end also. Don't you dare stop writing. Please. Take some time for yourself always but please don't stop writing. You are good at it. 

Thank you #NetGalley, #ReaFrey, #HarperMuse. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

FIVE huge stars. I highly recommend this book.

Synopsis

Can the entire course of a life be traced back to a single moment?

On a coveted two-week beach vacation, working mom Kate Baker’s nine-year-old daughter, Olivia, vanishes suddenly among the waves—a heart-dropping incident that threatens to uproot her entire reality. But in the next moment, Olivia resurfaces, joyously splashing.

What would I do if she didn’t come up? Kate wonders. How would I live without her?

In another set of circumstances that hold a different fate, Kate doesn’t have to wonder. Because in that “other” world, in the pulse-pounding seconds after Olivia goes under, she doesn’t come back up.

Told in parallel timelines, Kate begins to live two lives—one in which Olivia resurfaces and one in which she doesn’t. In the reality that follows her daughter’s death, she maneuvers through every mother’s worst nightmare, facing grief, rage, and the question of purpose in the aftermath of such profound loss. She endures, day by day, in a world without her daughter.

In her alternate timeline, while she explores a tremulous romance with her best friend, Jason, she finds herself grappling with the ex-husband who abandoned Kate and Olivia years prior. Even as Kate scrambles to hold her daughter close, Olivia pulls further away. The line between joy and loss seems to get thinner with each passing day.

Woven into a single story, both Kates discover a breathtaking fragility and resilience in their respective journeys. Bringing to light the drastic polarities dire circumstances often create, The Other Year explores truths about love, loss, and the sharp turns any life can take in the blink of an eye.

Momentum: Montessori, A Life in Motion by E. G. Slade

 

About:

Momentum is a captivating historical fiction novel about Dr. Maria Montessori, who was born in Chiaravalle, Italy, and grew up in a time when girls went uneducated. From an early age, Maria defied societal norms, becoming one of the first female doctors in Italy and going on to revolutionize education with a method that has spread around the world. 

Taking its bones from a real diary written by Dr. Montessori in 1913 chronicling her first voyage to America, Momentum is a fictionalized retelling of that same voyage. Told from Maria’s perspective and written directly to her son, Mario, the novel illuminates their complicated relationship and how he came to be raised by others while she focused on her work.

Dr. Montessori’s own telling of events barely written about in biographies reveals what led to the decisions she made and her feelings about those choices, and provides an inspiring portrait of a woman who overcame countless obstacles to reform education and brings recognition to the unlimited potential of every child. 

 About the author

Elizabeth G. Slade is the author of Rest Stops, a coming-of-age novel that won the Next Generation Indie Book Award in 2012. In 2021, she published the nonfiction book, Montessori in Action: Building Resilient Schools with John Wiley & Sons. Elizabeth has also worked with others to create books such as Women Period. and How to Raise a Peaceful Child in a Violent World. Her latest book, Momentum: Montessori, a Life in Motion is a work of historical fiction exploring the life of Maria Montessori.

In addition to writing, Elizabeth serves as the Executive Director of Public Montessori in Action International, an organization committed to ensuring fully-implemented Montessori education for children, families, and educators of the global majority. Elizabeth earned her AMI Elementary Diploma from the Washington Montessori Institute, her AMS Administrative Credential at the Center for Contemporary Montessori Studies, and her Master of Fine Arts in writing from Spalding University.

Praise:
“Simply brilliant--no, complexly brilliant. I have never read a more absorbing, unflinching, intense embodiment of biographical fiction.” 
- Sena Jeter Naslund, author of Ahab’s Wife

"E.G. Slade has added a profound new book to the literature around Dr. Maria Montessori's life that takes readers on a first-person historical fiction narrative that embraces Montessori's personal life, her journey into motherhood, and ultimately, her humanity as the person behind this incredible movement."
- Mariana Bissonnette, author of Babies Build Toddlers

Website: https://www.egslade.com/  

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/e.g.slade/

The Secrets We Hide by Patricia Sands

 

My thoughts

This is a very deep and thought provoking book. A story that only Patricia Sands could write. I enjoyed it from start to finish. I cried many tears reading this one but that was to be expected. It's just so good. I loved how things wrapped up at the end too. Great ending and acknowledgements. And the Note from the Author was something you should read. 

You meet Kaito and Hana when they are children living in Japan. Their families move to Hawaii and their friendship continues. It's a very deep friendship that grows stronger over the years. They start dating in high school and eventually get married. Kaito is called to serve in Vietnam and shortly after his deployment Hana finds out she is pregnant. Their best friends are Lailani and Brett. Brett had enlisted and ended up dying while serving. Hana and Lailani were practically inseparably and Lailani kept Kaito abreast of what all Hana was going through after the birth of their daughter Kiana. 

Hana suffered from extreme mental illness. Back during this time I think it was a bit harder to find out exactly what was wrong or the best medications to take. I believe that to be true. Hana would only get worse as the years progressed and Kaito was the most patient and loving husband ever to her. Their daughter never felt the true love of her mother but she did with her dad. Kaito was so doting on her and tried with all his might to get her to understand what was going on with Hana. One day Kiana left to get married to someone that Kaito did not approve. So he lost his beautiful daughter. 

This book is one that keeps you turning the pages. It keeps you wanting to know when Kiato will give up and make a life for himself. When will he decide it's enough already and move on. That he never does. He's the single most devoted husband ever. In my opinion. He really is. He vowed to love Hana throughout her life no matter what and he did. He did a lot of meditation and learned a lot of Buddhist ways that helped him. 

I won't say that Kaito never finds love or has a life because that is just not what happens here. But in order to find out who and how you have to read this beautiful story. I've never loved a protagonist as much as I do Kaito. He's the sweetest most kind and gentle man. He deserved much happiness. 

I learned a lot about the Buddhist while reading this book also. They have the absolute best teachings I have ever read about. For religion I would have to chose Buddhism if I was going to practice anything. They teach kindness and letting go. Lots of good things instead of fear. Lots of love instead of hate. I think the Buddhist are possibly the best at teaching people how to live and love. How to learn from each other and grow. How to live in peace and forgiveness instead of greed and uncaring. 

This is a definite FIVE star book. I won't forget some of this story for a long time. 

Synopsis

The deep traditions and values of Kaito Tanaka’s Japanese heritage are severely tested when he returns home to Honolulu from duty in Vietnam to find his wife, Hana, in the grip of progressive mental health challenges.

As Hana’s condition worsens, Kaito’s life becomes absorbed in protecting and caring for her and their daughter, Kiana. Hana becomes increasingly reclusive while their daughter Kiana grows troubled and rebellious. A friend’s mysterious death followed by Kiana’s sudden disappearance cut deeply into Kaito’s soul. Meditation is Kaito’s drug of choice. Secrecy hides the truth from others but Kaito’s commitment to Hana is unwavering.

As years go by, Kaito begins to make an annual pilgrimage to a Buddhist retreat in Koyasan that renews his spirit. In the end, a serendipitous coincidence there opens the door to happiness – if he can allow himself to accept it.

Things That Go Jack in the Night by TG Wolff

Things That Go Jack In The Night

by TG Wolff

September 11-15, 2023 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Mysteries to Die For: Season 6

In the English language, there are a few, very special words that can function as nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. One word goes further, creating new words from old.

That word is JACK.

The brandy distilled from hard cider was the first applejack, the word now synonymous with a children’s cereal. There is the nefarious one-eyed jack of playing card fame. Animals from the jackdaw to the jackrabbit to the elusive jackalope roam all the ranges. There are the ever growing number of people named Jack, birth named or nicknamed, heroes to villains. The way the word “jack” is used in the English language is truly unique, inventive, and too numerous for us to count.

For your puzzle solving pleasure, Mysteries to Die For presents: Things That Go Jack in the Night.

Pepper jack cheese. Lumberjack. Wolfman Jack. Jack be Nimble. One-eyed Jack. Jackass. Jacking Off. Jackalope. Jack-in-the-box. Jackknife. Jackpot. Audio jack.

Twelve stories arranged for you to deduce the truth. Twelve “jacks” that should definitely not be taken at face value. It’s a race between you and the detective to find the killer amid the jack in the night.

Book Details:

Genre: Mystery, Short Story
Published by: Mysteries To Die For
Publication Date: September 2023
Number of Pages: 288
Book Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | Mysteries to Die For

 

About Our Authors:

TG Wolff and Jack Wolff co-host the podcast Mysteries to Die For. This storytelling podcast combines with original music to put you in the heart of a mystery. All stories are structured to challenge you to beat the detective to the solution. Each season, authors craft whodunnit mysteries around a theme.

Season 6: Things that Go Jack in the Night features: KM Rockwood, Chuck Brownman, Nikki Knight, Ed Teja, Erica Obey, Kyra Jacobs, Ken Harris, Susan Wingate, TG Wolff, and Jack Wolff.

Get More Mysteries to Die For:
Mysteries to Die For
Goodreads
BookBub - @TG_Wolff
Instagram - @tg_wolff
Twitter - @tg_wolff
Facebook - M2D4Podcast

 

 

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews and opportunities to WIN in the giveaway!

 

 

JOIN IN ON THE GIVEAWAY:

This is a giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for TG Wolff & the Mysteries to Die For crew. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

 

 

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Tours

 

 

Mailbox Monday

Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week

************

Warning:  Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles, and humongous wish lists.
************
Mailbox Monday, created by Marcia @ A Girl and Her Books, has a permanent home now at Mailbox Monday
************
Here is a shout out to the administrators:

Emma @ Word and Peace

Serena @ Savvy Verse and Wit

Martha @ Reviews By Martha’s Bookshelf

************

THANKS to everyone for keeping Mailbox Monday alive.

BOTM books this month

1: The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin

A social media influencer with a secret past buys a murder house to renovate, but finds more than she bargained for behind the peeling wallpaper in this gothic psychological debut.

Sarah Slade is starting over. As the new owner of the infamous Black Wood House—the scene of a grisly murder-suicide—she’s determined that the fixer-upper will help reach a new audience on her successful lifestyle blog, and distract her from her failing marriage.

But as Sarah paints over the house’s horrifying past, she knows better than anyone that a new façade can’t conceal every secret. Then the builders start acting erratically and experiencing bizarre accidents—and Sarah knows there’s only so long she can continue to sleep in the bedroom with the bloodstained floor and suffer the mysterious footsteps she hears from the attic.

When menacing notes start appearing everywhere, Sarah becomes convinced that someone or something is out to kill her—her husband, her neighbors, maybe even the house itself. The more she remodels Black Wood House, the angrier it seems to become.

With every passing moment, Sarah’s life spirals further out of control—and with it, her sense of reality. Though she desperately clings to the lies she’s crafted to conceal her own secrets, Sarah Slade must wonder . . . was it all worth it? Or will this house be her final unraveling?

2: Banyan Moon by Thao Thai 

When Ann Tran gets the call that her fiercely beloved grandmother, Minh, has passed away, her life is already at a crossroads. In the years since she’s last seen Minh, Ann has built a seemingly perfect life—a beautiful lake house, a charming professor boyfriend, and invites to elegant parties that bubble over with champagne and good taste—but it all crumbles with one positive pregnancy test. With both her relationship and carefully planned future now in question, Ann returns home to Florida to face her estranged mother, Huơng.

Back in Florida, Huơng is simultaneously mourning her mother and resenting her for having the relationship with Ann that she never did. Then Ann and Huơng learn that Minh has left them both the Banyan House, the crumbling old manor that was Ann’s childhood home, in all its strange, Gothic glory. Under the same roof for the first time in years, mother and daughter must face the simmering questions of their past and their uncertain futures, while trying to rebuild their relationship without the one person who’s always held them together.

Running parallel to this is Minh’s story, as she goes from a lovestruck teenager living in the shadow of the Vietnam War to a determined young mother immigrating to America in search of a better life for her children. And when Ann makes a shocking discovery in the Banyan House’s attic, long-buried secrets come to light as it becomes clear how decisions Minh made in her youth affected the rest of her life—and beyond.

Spanning decades and continents, from 1960s Vietnam to the wild swamplands of the Florida coast, Banyan Moon is a stunning and deeply moving story of mothers and daughters, the things we inherit, and the lives we choose to make out of that inheritance.

3: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now?

Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the ‘80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story nears its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.

Books received...

I was surprised by this one. I received this without a note saying who sent it...

As Bright As Heaven by Susan Meissner

From the acclaimed author of The Last Year of the War comes a novel set during the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, telling the story of a family reborn through loss and love.

In 1918, Philadelphia was a city teeming with promise. Even as its young men went off to fight in the Great War, there were opportunities for a fresh start on its cobblestone streets. Into this bustling town, came Pauline Bright and her husband, filled with hope that they could now give their three daughters—Evelyn, Maggie, and Willa—a chance at a better life.

But just months after they arrive, the Spanish Flu reaches the shores of America. As the pandemic claims more than twelve thousand victims in their adopted city, they find their lives left with a world that looks nothing like the one they knew. But even as they lose loved ones, they take in a baby orphaned by the disease who becomes their single source of hope. Amidst the tragedy and challenges, they learn what they cannot live without—and what they are willing to do about it.

As Bright as Heaven is the compelling story of a mother and her daughters who find themselves in a harsh world not of their making, which will either crush their resolve to survive or purify it.